Nothing creates more flavorful BBQ than a stick burner smoker. If you’re serious about good BBQ, it won’t take you long to realize you need one. Below, we take a quick look at some of the best options on the market today, whatever your budget.
What is a Stick Burner Smoker?
A stick burner smoker, also called an offset smoker, is usually shaped like a barrel and has a connected compartment where the fire burns. The smoke and home from the fire filters into the main compartment, where the food is cooked.
How Do I Control the Temperature in My Smoker?
The simple answer is to open or close the vents on your stick burner smoker, but as we all know, smoking meat is an art form and a lot more complicated than just opening or closing a vent.
If you think you’re not quite ready to enjoy a stick burner smoker yet, check out this review of the best beginner smokers. These will help you get started without costing a fortune or ruining tons of perfectly good meat.
Our Favorite Offset Smokers
1. Pitts & Spitts Ultimate Smoker Pit
This Texas company was the first to combine a drum with a pipe and create an amazing BBQ machine, and it’s still the best of the best when it comes to smoking meat. This pit is not for the casual smoker, but it is the gold standard if you’re serious about your BBQ.
2. Weber 731001 Smokey Mountain Cooker
This stick burner smoker from grilling veteran Weber is vertical, so it will take up less space than most offset smokers. It happens to be our favorite for beginners, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s less than half the price of our top pick!
3. Camp Chef PG24 DLX B
The PG24 from Camp Chef is a wood pellet smoker and comes with two features that make using it a breeze: a smart digital control and an automatic auger feed. These two will work together to keep your interior temperature where you want it so you won’t have to work as much.